Larger boats, and particularly pleasure craft, often times are provided with a platform type structure, sometimes called a swim platform, which extends aft of the transom of the boat at the stern slightly above the water line. It has become popular to use these platforms for storing auxiliary watercraft such as tenders, jet skies and the like.
Since such auxiliary water craft can be heavy and extremely awkward to lift into and out of the water, various loading aids have been provided. Such loading aids range from auxiliary davits or cranes carried by the boat to elevatable and submergible swim platforms. Such crane devices and movable swim platforms are generally permanent attachments to the boat, are relatively unsightly and are expensive.
Additionally in order to secure the auxiliary watercraft in place on the platform, cradling must be provided. Because the cradle is used when the boat is under way, the cradle must be secured to the platform. Such cradling is unsightly when the auxiliary watercraft is not in place, interferes with the normal use of the platform and can create a hazard to individuals moving about on the platform.
It would therefore be an advance in the art to provide an alternative system for moving personal watercraft from the water to a aft platform mounted cradle which could be adapted to use on existing platforms and which provides a secure but removable cradle.